Latest news with #CrimeandPolicingBill
Epoch Times
13 hours ago
- Health
- Epoch Times
Gang Leaders to Face 10 Years in Jail for Forcing Children to Conceal Drugs
Gang leaders who force vulnerable people—including children—to hide drugs or cash in their bodies will face up to 10 years in prison, as part of a bill currently going through Parliament. The Home Office confirmed on Tuesday that the new criminal offence of 'coerced internal concealment' is being introduced to the Crime and Policing Bill. It will target a practice which involves people hiding items in their bodies to avoid detection when transporting goods from one location to another. Known by its street names as 'plugging,' 'stuffing,' or 'banking,' the method is typically employed by organised gangs to transport drugs, money, and sim cards, either by swallowing the items or hiding them inside of their bodies. This is often connected to County Lines drug operations, with estimates suggesting that tens of thousands of children are involved. 'Truly Evil' Internal concealment of foreign objects can be dangerous and even fatal, particularly if drug packages split open when inside the body. Announcing the measures on Tuesday, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said the new offence will go alongside other measures in the bill 'to turn the tables on gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.' Related Stories 12/6/2024 3/15/2024 Phillips said, 'There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk.' Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips during her visit to the West Midlands Police control room in Birmingham, England, on Feb. 19, 2025. Joe Giddens/PA Wire 'As part of our Plan for Change, this government will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to dismantle these drug gangs entirely and secure convictions that reflect the severity of these crimes,' she added. County Lines County Lines are drug dealing networks, named for the mobile phone lines used to coordinate the drug sales often across county boundaries. They are run by 'Line Holders' who coordinate 'runners' to deliver drugs. Often, these runners are children and vulnerable adults, such as those with mental health problems or addictions. The Children's Society In order to break down the organised crime group peddling drugs and exploiting children, the government has invested £42 million this year into the County Lines Programme. The latest statistics from the programme show that since July 2024, police have shut down 1,225 lines and arrested 2,038 people, resulting in the charging of over 800 violent offenders. There were also 2,192 safeguarding referrals for vulnerable people and children. Cuckooing Another form of criminal exploitation associated with County Lines is 'cuckooing,' where drug dealers take over the homes of vulnerable people, such as drug addicts, the mentally ill, single parents, and even the elderly. Drug dealers will accommodate their runners at these properties because they are less conspicuous than using their own homes or hotels. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) says that while use of the properties may start out as consensual, like in cases where the resident is an addict, arrangements can 'quickly sour' and gang members may use violence to occupy the property. Last year's raids saw police forces visit 853 addresses used by drug dealers for cuckooing. File photo of British police officers dated Oct. 22, 2014. Joe Giddens/PA Wire County Lines are not limited to the drugs trade. Following a major operation in December 2024 which resulted in the arrest of 1,600 people, officers confiscated firearms and bladed weapons, which NPCC County Lines lead Commander Paul Brogden County Lines Evolving County Lines have typically been associated with drug running from cities to suburban and rural areas, but researchers and law enforcement say that the structure of these networks is changing. According to researchers from the universities of York, Liverpool, and Leeds, the term 'County Lines' is now outdated, because drug distribution has also evolved to encompass the local drug supply rather than the solely 'out-of-town' drug supply system originally considered typical of this form of organised crime. Researchers said in May that as both types of drugs networks involve the exploitation of the young and vulnerable, 'criminal exploitation' should be considered the defining characteristic of this crime and the focus of investigating officers across the UK. The NPCC said in November last year that it has also observed that County Lines are becoming more localised, with fewer lines running across police force jurisdictions. They found that external lines operating across force boundaries have reduced by 12.2 percent, while internal lines which start and end within the jurisdiction of one police force have increased by 232 percent, year-on-year.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Prevent referrals for young people has doubled since last summer, says Cooper
The number of younger people being referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme has doubled since last summer, the Home Secretary has revealed. Yvette Cooper told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that she was 'really worried' about 'increasing extremism among young people', with rising numbers being reported to Prevent or arrested for terrorism offences. But she also warned that not enough cases of Islamic extremism were being referred to the programme, saying she was 'concerned about the threshold ending up being too high'. The Government has embarked on an overhaul of the Prevent programme, which aims to divert people away from extremism, amid rising concern about youth radicalisation and following the murder of three young girls in Southport by teenager Axel Rudakubana. Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, but his case was closed due to his lack of ideology. As well as appointing an independent Prevent commissioner to examine the programme, the Southport case and that of Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered Tory MP Sir David Amess in 2021, ministers launched a review of Prevent thresholds towards the end of last year. Asked about the findings of that review on Tuesday, Ms Cooper said: 'This is one of the issues that I am really worried about, and we are seeing increasing extremism among young people.' Adding that the counter-terror caseload involving young people had trebled in the last three years, she said: 'What we've also seen, I think, is a doubling of the number of young people being referred to Prevent since last summer as well. 'So this does raise some very significant challenges for us.' In response, the Government has proposed new 'youth diversion orders' as part of the Crime and Policing Bill currently making its way through Parliament. The orders are intended to apply to young people who require intervention beyond the voluntary Prevent scheme, and can impose conditions including restrictions on online activity. The latest figures show a slight rise in the number of people being referred to Prevent when compared to the previous year, with 6,922 referrals in the year up to March 31 2024. Around half of those referrals were for people aged under 18, while referrals for 'extreme right-wing concerns' outnumbered those for 'Islamist concerns' for the fourth year running. But Ms Cooper told MPs on Tuesday: 'I continue to be concerned about the threshold ending up being too high and not enough Islamist extremist cases being referred to Prevent, and the need to do more to make sure more of those cases were being referred to Prevent.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Fuel thefts up 49% in a year as repeat offenders are ‘pushing their luck'
Forecourt owners attempted to trace offenders over 66,378 incidents between February and April, according to data obtained by motoring research charity the RAC Foundation and the PA news agency. That is up from 44,631 during the same period last year. The RAC Foundation said the rise could be caused by serial offenders increasing their theft rates as they believe police forces are under too much pressure elsewhere to focus on the issue. The figures relate to the number of requests made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle keeper data in relation to fuel theft. Most of the incidents are likely to relate to drive-offs – also known as bilking – where someone fills up their vehicle with no intention of paying, and then leaves. A recent investigation by trade publication Forecourt Trader found £6.6 million of fuel was stolen in these incidents in the five years to the end of 2024. This is based on data provided by 33 UK police forces in response to freedom of information requests. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: 'It would be tempting to suspect that the cost-of-living crisis is pushing normally law-abiding people into committing this type of offence, but that would be an insult to the vast majority of people who continue to obey the law whatever their circumstances. 'Repeat criminals might well be pushing their luck more than ever because they believe other pressures on the police are such that they'll get away with it. 'Drive-offs might be seen as relatively low-level crimes in the grand scheme of things but they are corrosive to society, damaging to businesses and ultimately push up pump prices for law-abiding motorists and riders. 'More is being done to prevent these crimes through adoption of better surveillance systems and pay-at-pump options, but the numbers suggest the problem has been getting worse, with tens of thousands of drive-away fuel thefts each year. 'Those tempted to refuel without paying need to feel there is a real threat of being caught and punished.' Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent fuel retailers as well as supermarket and motorway service station operators, said: 'It is deeply concerning to see this criminal activity on the rise and its impact on those effected. 'This is not a victimless crime and has a major impact on fuel retailers, many of which are family-run forecourts who are already struggling under current economic uncertainty.' The maximum penalty for drivers convicted of making off without payment, an offence under the Theft Act 1978, is two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. The Crime and Policing Bill proposes removing legislation that means theft of goods from a shop valued at up to £200 are generally dealt with at a magistrates' court, rather than being an offence that can be heard in a magistrates' court or crown court. This would mean the maximum sentence would become seven years regardless of value. Existing legislation means offenders 'perceive they can get away with shop theft of goods to the value of £200 or less', according to the Ministry of Justice.
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Fuel thefts up 49% in a year as repeat offenders are ‘pushing their luck'
Forecourt owners attempted to trace offenders over 66,378 incidents between February and April, according to data obtained by motoring research charity the RAC Foundation and the PA news agency. That is up from 44,631 during the same period last year. The RAC Foundation said the rise could be caused by serial offenders increasing their theft rates as they believe police forces are under too much pressure elsewhere to focus on the issue. The figures relate to the number of requests made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle keeper data in relation to fuel theft. Most of the incidents are likely to relate to drive-offs – also known as bilking – where someone fills up their vehicle with no intention of paying, and then leaves. A recent investigation by trade publication Forecourt Trader found £6.6 million of fuel was stolen in these incidents in the five years to the end of 2024. This is based on data provided by 33 UK police forces in response to freedom of information requests. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: 'It would be tempting to suspect that the cost-of-living crisis is pushing normally law-abiding people into committing this type of offence, but that would be an insult to the vast majority of people who continue to obey the law whatever their circumstances. 'Repeat criminals might well be pushing their luck more than ever because they believe other pressures on the police are such that they'll get away with it. 'Drive-offs might be seen as relatively low-level crimes in the grand scheme of things but they are corrosive to society, damaging to businesses and ultimately push up pump prices for law-abiding motorists and riders. 'More is being done to prevent these crimes through adoption of better surveillance systems and pay-at-pump options, but the numbers suggest the problem has been getting worse, with tens of thousands of drive-away fuel thefts each year. 'Those tempted to refuel without paying need to feel there is a real threat of being caught and punished.' Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent fuel retailers as well as supermarket and motorway service station operators, said: 'It is deeply concerning to see this criminal activity on the rise and its impact on those effected. 'This is not a victimless crime and has a major impact on fuel retailers, many of which are family-run forecourts who are already struggling under current economic uncertainty.' The maximum penalty for drivers convicted of making off without payment, an offence under the Theft Act 1978, is two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. The Crime and Policing Bill proposes removing legislation that means theft of goods from a shop valued at up to £200 are generally dealt with at a magistrates' court, rather than being an offence that can be heard in a magistrates' court or crown court. This would mean the maximum sentence would become seven years regardless of value. Existing legislation means offenders 'perceive they can get away with shop theft of goods to the value of £200 or less', according to the Ministry of Justice.
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Fuel thefts up 49% in a year as repeat offenders are ‘pushing their luck'
Forecourt owners attempted to trace offenders over 66,378 incidents between February and April, according to data obtained by motoring research charity the RAC Foundation and the PA news agency. That is up from 44,631 during the same period last year. The RAC Foundation said the rise could be caused by serial offenders increasing their theft rates as they believe police forces are under too much pressure elsewhere to focus on the issue. The figures relate to the number of requests made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle keeper data in relation to fuel theft. Most of the incidents are likely to relate to drive-offs – also known as bilking – where someone fills up their vehicle with no intention of paying, and then leaves. A recent investigation by trade publication Forecourt Trader found £6.6 million of fuel was stolen in these incidents in the five years to the end of 2024. This is based on data provided by 33 UK police forces in response to freedom of information requests. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: 'It would be tempting to suspect that the cost-of-living crisis is pushing normally law-abiding people into committing this type of offence, but that would be an insult to the vast majority of people who continue to obey the law whatever their circumstances. 'Repeat criminals might well be pushing their luck more than ever because they believe other pressures on the police are such that they'll get away with it. 'Drive-offs might be seen as relatively low-level crimes in the grand scheme of things but they are corrosive to society, damaging to businesses and ultimately push up pump prices for law-abiding motorists and riders. 'More is being done to prevent these crimes through adoption of better surveillance systems and pay-at-pump options, but the numbers suggest the problem has been getting worse, with tens of thousands of drive-away fuel thefts each year. 'Those tempted to refuel without paying need to feel there is a real threat of being caught and punished.' Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent fuel retailers as well as supermarket and motorway service station operators, said: 'It is deeply concerning to see this criminal activity on the rise and its impact on those effected. 'This is not a victimless crime and has a major impact on fuel retailers, many of which are family-run forecourts who are already struggling under current economic uncertainty.' The maximum penalty for drivers convicted of making off without payment, an offence under the Theft Act 1978, is two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. The Crime and Policing Bill proposes removing legislation that means theft of goods from a shop valued at up to £200 are generally dealt with at a magistrates' court, rather than being an offence that can be heard in a magistrates' court or crown court. This would mean the maximum sentence would become seven years regardless of value. Existing legislation means offenders 'perceive they can get away with shop theft of goods to the value of £200 or less', according to the Ministry of Justice.
